Max went behind his brother's back by prompting Dot to contact Charlie, before making him a mystery proposition upon his return. But Declan isn't sure that Max can be trusted – and we are inclined to agree.

"They each want the best for Matthew, but they're also the kind of people who, when pushed into a corner, will bare the teeth and fight. Charlie just wants to get to know his son and get on with his life, but that's not as easy as he'd like it to be."

Discussing his return to EastEnders, Declan added: "It came out of the blue! The call was towards the end of last year, and I didn't expect it at all.

"Around that time I went back to watching EastEnders regularly and I thought that Ronnie and Roxy's exit was done brilliantly. I fell in love with the show all over again."